Atlantic Chan Buddhist Association: Ji Jing Chan Buddhist Temple

This Buddhist temple does it right!
When I wanted to start studying Buddhism to see what all the fuss was about I went to several temples in the city. Unfortunately I was turned off by quite a few of them. Some places call themselves Buddhist but actually follow other philosophies that sort of disqualify them from being Buddhist in the strictest sense. And some places also had Instructors who were born and raised and taught Buddhism in the West. Call me old fashioned or prejudice, but I prefer a teacher who was born and raised in a traditional Buddhist society outside of Western Culture.
So one day I stumbled across Atlantic Chan Buddhist Association and was blown away! They are very unassuming being on Windsor street in a converted Presbyterian church. But once you walk in you feel like you are transported into another country or another world. They have a beautiful interior with an incredible looking Buddhist statue. But what I was really impressed by them was that they weren’t trying to make money from you. At least they weren’t trying that hard.
I remember when I went to one temple and they had a pamphlet that gave you the price for each stage of enlightenment course. I thought how strange it was to have to pay for a stage of enlightenment. I also thought it was contrary to the very idea of enlightenment but forgave them for the fact that a business needs to make money. However this temple does not charge. They simply accept what donations you can give but they also never ask. For months I went there with a friend, learning Buddhism every Sunday, and practicing mediation’s for hours on end. At no point did they charge. I would have kept it up but later on found out that my path was elsewhere.
I will always be grateful for what I learned at Atlantic Chan Buddhist Association. They were very kind, welcoming and were everything my friend and I expected and hoped to find in a Buddhist temple.